Packing articles, such as packages of rolls of paper

Abstract

A pack or bundle comprising a bag of thermoplastic film such as polyethylene, individual packages of rolls of paper, such as packages of four rolls of toilet tissue, packed in the bag, a closure panel inserted in the bag engaging the contents, the panel being heat-sealable on its outside face, the bag having a marginal lip at its mouth projecting beyond the closure panel folded over on the outside face of the closure panel and heat-sealed thereto to close the bag, and the method of making such bundles involving inserting the contents and the closure into the bag through its mouth, and folding over the lip and heat-sealing it to the panel.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A package comprising: a bag of flexible packaging material which is heat-sealable at least on the inside;   said bag being formed with a first end closure at one end and an open mouth at its other end;   product in the bag of generally rectangular shape in section transverse to the bag and of generally rectangular shape in section lengthwise of the bag thereby having four generally rectangular sides and first and second generally rectangular ends;   said first end closure of the bag being such as to enable opening up of the bag with portions of said flexible packaging material of the bag at said first end closure of generally rectangular shape corresponding to the shape of said first end of said product;   said product being packed in the bag with its said first end at said first end closure of the bag with said portions of said material of the bag at its said first end closure of generally rectangular shape corresponding to the shape of said first end of said product and generally flat at said first end of said product, and with the bag generally tight girthwise around said four generally rectangular sides of said product;   the height of the bag being such in relation to the height of the product that, with the bag at its said first end closure of generally rectangular shape and generally flat at said first end of said product, the bag has a lip all around the bag at the mouth of the bag projecting beyond said sides of said product;   a flat closure panel inserted in the bag on said second end of said product;   said closure panel being generally rectangular in shape corresponding generally in shape to said second end of said product and having edges adjacent the edges of said second end of said product;   said closure panel being heat-sealable compatibly with the bag at least around the margin thereof on the ouside for heat sealing of said lip of the bag to said margin;   said lip providing four marginal portions of the bag at the mouth of the bag constituting flaps at each of the four edges of the closure panel;   each flap at any point thereof being of relatively narrow width substantially less than half the distance across the panel from said point;   said flaps being folded over on the outside of said closure panel overlying the closure panel all around the margin thereof and being heat-sealed to said margin thereby forming a second end closure, with a substantial portion of the panel exposed within said flaps.   
     
     
       2. A package as set forth in claim 1 wherein the bag is a bag of heat-sealable plastic film and the closure panel comprises a piece of non-heat-sealable material having a coating of heat-sealable plastic on its outside face. 
     
     
       3. A package as set forth in claim 2 wherein the product comprises a plurality of individual paper items which are per se compressible, said items being assembled in a stack having said four generally rectangular sides and first and second generally rectangular ends with the items so arranged that the stack is compressible girthwise. 
     
     
       4. A package as set forth in claim 3 wherein the paper items are rolls of paper assembled in said stack with the axes of the rolls extending lengthwise of the bag. 
     
     
       5. A package as set forth in claim 4 wherein the rolls of paper are toilet tissue rolls in individual packages within the bag, each individual package comprising a plurality of the rolls wrapped in a heat-sealable wrapper, said panel in comprising a piece of non-heat-sealable material with the heat-sealable plastic coating on its outside face allowing the heat-sealing of the flaps to the panel without sealing to the roll wrappers. 
     
     
       6. A package as set forth in claim 2 wherein the plastic coating generally completely covers the outside face of the panel and has a non-slip characteristic for non-slip of packages in a stack. 
     
     
       7. A package as set forth in claim 2 wherein the plastic coating generally completely covers the outside face of the panel and has a slip characteristic for facilitating sliding of the package. 
     
     
       8. A package as set forth in claim 1 wherein the bag comprises a length of gussetted tubing of heat-sealable plastic, and said first end closure is formed by a heat seal extending across the bag. 
     
     
       9. A package as set forth in claim 8 wherein the closure panel comprises a piece of non-heat-sealable material having a coating of heat-sealable plastic on its outside face. 
     
     
       10. A package as set forth in claim 9 wherein the product comprises a plurality of individual paper items which are per se compressible, said items being assembled in a stack having said four generally rectangular sides and first and second generally rectangular ends with the items so arranged that the stack is compressible girthwise. 
     
     
       11. A package as set forth in claim 10 wherein the paper items are rolls of paper assembled in said stack with the axes of the rolls extending lengthwise of bag. 
     
     
       12. A package as set forth in claim 11 wherein the rolls of paper are toilet tissue rolls in individual packages within the bag, each individual package comprising a plurality of the rolls wrapped in a heat-sealable wrapper, said panel in comprising a piece of non-heat-sealable material with the heat-sealable plastic coating on its outside face allowing the heat-sealing of the flaps to the panel without sealing to the roll wrappers. 
     
     
       13. A package as set forth in claim 9 wherein the plastic coating generally completely covers the outside face of the panel and has a non-slip characteristic for non-slip of packages in a stack. 
     
     
       14. A package as set forth in claim 9 wherein the plastic coating generally completely covers the outside face of the panel and has a slip characteristic for facilitating sliding of the package. 
     
     
       15. The method of packaging utilizing a bag of flexible packaging material which is heat-sealable at least on the inside and which is formed with a first end closure at one end and an open mouth at its other end, said method comprising: loading the bag with product through the mouth of the bag;   said product being of generally rectangular shape in section transverse to the bag and of generally rectangular shape in section heightwise of the bag thereby having four generally rectangular sides and first and second generally rectangular ends;   said first end closure of the bag being such as to enable opening up of the bag with portions of said flexible packaging material of the bag at said first end closure of generally rectangular shape corresponding to the shape of said first end of said product;   the product being loaded in the bag with its said first end first and at said first end closure of the bag with portions of the material of the bag at its said first end closure of generally rectangular shape corresponding to the shape of said first end of said product and generally flat at said first end of said product;   the girth of the bag and the girth of the product being such and the product being so loaded in the bag that the bag is generally tight girthwise around said four generally rectangular sides of said product;   the height of the bag and the height of the product being such that, with the bag at its said first end closure of generally rectangular shape and generally flat at said first end of said product, the bag has a lip all around the bag at the mouth of the bag projecting beyond said sides of said product;   inserting a flat closure panel in the bag to lie against said second end of the product;   said closure panel being generally rectangular in shape corresponding generally in shape to said second end of said product and having edges adjacent the edges of said second end of said product;   said closure panel being heat-sealable compatibly with the bag at least around the margin thereof on the outside for heat sealing of said lip of the bag to said margin;   said lip providing four marginal portions of the bag at the mouth of the bag constituting flaps at each of the four edges of the closure panel;   each flap at any point thereof being of relatively narrow width substantially less than half the distance across the panel from said point; and   folding said flaps over on the outside of said closure panel so that they overlie the closure panel all around the margin thereof and heat-sealing said flaps to said margin to form a second end closure, with a substantial portion of the panel exposed within said flaps.   
     
     
       16. The method of claim 15 wherein the bag is a bag of heat-sealable plastic film, said closure panel is a piece of non-heat-sealable material having a coating of heat-sealable material on one face, said closure panel is inserted in the bag with said coated face thereof toward the outside, and said flaps are folded over on and heat-sealed to the margin of said coated face. 
     
     
       17. The method of claim 1 wherein the product comprises a plurality of paper items which are per se compressible, said items being assembled in a stack having said four generally rectangular sides and first and second generally rectangular ends with the items so arranged that the stack is compressible girthwise, and the stack is loaded as a unit in the bag. 
     
     
       18. The method of claim 17 wherein, for the loading, the bag is spread open, and the stack is pushed as a unit into the bag under conditions such that the stack is compressed girthwise. 
     
     
       19. The method of claim 18 wherein the paper items are rolls of paper, said rolls being assembled in the stack with the axes of the rolls extending lengthwise of the bag. 
     
     
       20. The mehtod of claim 19 wherein the rolls of paper are toilet tissue rolls in individual packages, each package comprising a plurality of the rolls wrapped in a heat-sealable wrapper, said individual packages being assembled in the stack with the axes of the rolls in the packages extending lengthwise of the bag. 
     
     
       21. The method of claim 18 wherein the bags are supplied as a continuous series of gusseted tubing of heat-sealable plastic having heat seals extending across the tubing at bag length intervals forming said first end closure for each bag with lines of weakness extending across the tubing adjacent each said first end closure seal, each bag being separated from the tubing by separation at a line of weakness. 
     
     
       22. The method of packaging comprising loading a bag of flexible packaging material with product through the mouth of the bag and inserting a closure panel through the mouth of the bag with the inside of the closure panel lying against the product, the product height being such that, with the closure panel on the product, the bag has a lip all around the bag projecting beyond said panel at the mouth of the bag, the lip at any point around the bag being of relatively narrow width substantially less than half the distance across the panel from said point, the lip on the inside thereof and the margin of the panel on the outside thereof being of compatible sealing material, folding over the lip on the outside of the panel, the lip extending all around the margin of the panel on the outside of the panel with a substantial portion of the panel exposed within the lip, and sealing the lip to the margin of the panel on the outside of the panel, the bag being a heat-sealable plastic bag and the closure panel being compatibly heat-sealable on the outside face thereof with the plastic of the bag, the lip of the bag being heat-sealed to the outisde face of the panel, the bag being spread open at its mouth, and the product and the end closure panel being simultaneously pushed into the bag through its mouth and the product thereby compressed, compression being maintained while the lip of the bag is folded over on the outside face of the panel and heat-sealed to the coating on said face, the product in section transverse to the bag and the panel being generally rectangular, the product and bag being dimensioned for a relatively tight fit of the product in the bag, the lip comprising four marginal portions of the bag which are folded over around the four sides of the panel on the outside face of the panel, and each of the four marginal portions being heat-sealed to the outside face of the panel, said four marginal portions being heat-sealed to the panel at intervals while compression is maintained, the folding over of the marginal portions being effected by folding members having gaps therein and the heat sealing being effected by entering heat sealing members in the gaps.